Norbert Capek
Encyclopedia
Norbert Fabián Čapek was the founder of the modern Unitarian
Church in the Czech Republic
.
, a village in Strakonice District
in southern Bohemia
. As a boy he wanted to join the priesthood, but soon became disillusioned with the church. At the age of 18 he left Catholicism for the Baptist
church and was ordained a minister.
Čapek traveled widely as a Baptist evangelist, from Saxony in the west to the Ukraine in the east. In Moravia he was influenced by the free Christianity and the Moravian Brotherhood, and his religious convictions became progressively more liberal and anti-clerical. He wrote for and edited a number of journals. His articles on topics ranging from psychology to politics attracted unfavorable attention from the German authorities, and in 1914 he fled to the United States.
and in 1921 joined the First Unitarian Church of Essex County (in Orange, New Jersey
).
While in the United States, Čapek suffered two heresy trials at the accusation of Slovak Baptist
ministers, in attempts to expel him from the Baptist
association.
Widowed shortly after his arrival in US, Čapek met and married another Czech expatirate, Mája Oktavec. Together, they decided to bring Unitarianism back to their homeland, newly independent after World War I
. The couple returned to Prague
in 1921.
The new Unitarian congregation they formed in Prague, called the Liberal Religious Fellowship, grew rapidly and soon purchased a large building dubbed "Unitaria" at the foot of the Charles Bridge. The early worship services generally consisted of lectures. The minister wore no robe or vestments; and the congregation dispensed with elaborate rituals, singing of hymns, ornate decoration, and formal or prescribed prayers. Some members felt that the congregation lacked a spiritual dimension. In response, Čapek created the Flower Communion
: each member would bring a flower to the church, where it was placed in a large central vase. At the end of the service, each would take home a different flower. This symbolized the uniqueness of each individual, and the coming together in communion to share this uniqueness.
, Čapek chose to remain in Europe. During the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, he was arrested by the Gestapo
, who confiscated his books and sermons. He was charged with listening to foreign broadcasts (a capital crime) and was taken in 1942 to the Dachau concentration camp, where he lived in the "Priesterblock". He was tortured and eventually gassed late in 1942.
When news of his death reached the United States, the American Unitarian Association president, Fredrick May Eliot, wrote, "Another name is added to the list of heroic Unitarian martyrs
, by whose death our freedom has been bought, Ours is now the responsibility to see to it that we stand fast in the liberty so gloriously won."
The International Association for Religious Freedom
placed a plaque in the camp in his memory.
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
Church in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
Early life
Čapek was born into a Roman Catholic family on 3 June 1870, in RadomyšlRadomyšl
Radomyšl is a market town in Strakonice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic.The town covers an area of , and has a population of 1,128 ....
, a village in Strakonice District
Strakonice District
Strakonice District is a district within South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is Strakonice.- Complete list of municipalities :Bavorov -Bělčice -Bezdědovice -Bílsko -Blatná -Bratronice -Březí -Budyně -...
in southern Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
. As a boy he wanted to join the priesthood, but soon became disillusioned with the church. At the age of 18 he left Catholicism for the Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
church and was ordained a minister.
Čapek traveled widely as a Baptist evangelist, from Saxony in the west to the Ukraine in the east. In Moravia he was influenced by the free Christianity and the Moravian Brotherhood, and his religious convictions became progressively more liberal and anti-clerical. He wrote for and edited a number of journals. His articles on topics ranging from psychology to politics attracted unfavorable attention from the German authorities, and in 1914 he fled to the United States.
Unitarianism
Čapek moved his family to the United States where he became editor of a Czech language newspaper. Pursuing his increasingly liberal religious perspective, he discovered UnitarianismUnitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
and in 1921 joined the First Unitarian Church of Essex County (in Orange, New Jersey
Orange, New Jersey
The City of Orange is a city and township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 30,134...
).
While in the United States, Čapek suffered two heresy trials at the accusation of Slovak Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
ministers, in attempts to expel him from the Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
association.
Widowed shortly after his arrival in US, Čapek met and married another Czech expatirate, Mája Oktavec. Together, they decided to bring Unitarianism back to their homeland, newly independent after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The couple returned to Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
in 1921.
The new Unitarian congregation they formed in Prague, called the Liberal Religious Fellowship, grew rapidly and soon purchased a large building dubbed "Unitaria" at the foot of the Charles Bridge. The early worship services generally consisted of lectures. The minister wore no robe or vestments; and the congregation dispensed with elaborate rituals, singing of hymns, ornate decoration, and formal or prescribed prayers. Some members felt that the congregation lacked a spiritual dimension. In response, Čapek created the Flower Communion
Flower Communion
Flower Communion is a ritual service common in Unitarian Universalism, though the specific practices vary from one congregation to another. It is usually held before summer, when some congregations recess from holding services.-History:...
: each member would bring a flower to the church, where it was placed in a large central vase. At the end of the service, each would take home a different flower. This symbolized the uniqueness of each individual, and the coming together in communion to share this uniqueness.
World War II
Although he was invited to return to the United States during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Čapek chose to remain in Europe. During the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, he was arrested by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
, who confiscated his books and sermons. He was charged with listening to foreign broadcasts (a capital crime) and was taken in 1942 to the Dachau concentration camp, where he lived in the "Priesterblock". He was tortured and eventually gassed late in 1942.
When news of his death reached the United States, the American Unitarian Association president, Fredrick May Eliot, wrote, "Another name is added to the list of heroic Unitarian martyrs
Unitarian martyrs
Unitarian martyrs are individuals who died for their adherence to Unitarianism, a theological position which claims to derive from the Christian Bible and denies the Trinity, instead maintaining that there is one God in one person...
, by whose death our freedom has been bought, Ours is now the responsibility to see to it that we stand fast in the liberty so gloriously won."
The International Association for Religious Freedom
International Association for Religious Freedom
The International Association for Religious Freedom is a charitable organization that works for religious freedom around the world. It was founded in Boston in 1900 and is the oldest international interfaith group....
placed a plaque in the camp in his memory.
External links
- Norbert Čapek from the Unitarian Universalist Association website.
- Flower Communion and Norbert Capek from the First Parish Cambridge [MA] Unitarian Universalist Church website.